Steel
by Restless Inner Thoughts
Summary: What really happened between Seifer and Quistis before and during the game? Please R&R.
1. Promises

*Okay, so I'm tying something new here. Please stick with it. This is set before the game, and the rest of the chapters will probably be based loosely around what happens in it. I'll have to change some bits though. If you spot any mistakes in this please tell me. This story was up before, but I'm rearranging it, because it didn't make much sense how it was, and I had no where to go.  
  
Please R&R. Constructive criticism welcome.*  
  
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Seifer, or Zell for that matter of fact, but I don't, Squaresoft owns everything! Ugh! You'd think they'd at least share! _____________________________________________________________________  
  
"I promise."  
  
The voice echoed round and round his head, swirling, making him dizzy. Funny thing was, he'd believed her. How stupid can you get?  
  
"I promise. I won't leave you."  
  
Yeah right! Seifer slammed his head back against his pillow. Like he'd never heard that before. Thing is, like an idiot, he'd believed her.  
  
"I promise. I'm not going anywhere. I don't want to, anyway. I want to stay with you."  
  
Uh huh! That's why she left. Because she wanted to stay with him. Riiiight. He didn't mean physically leave. She was always around. But she started to drift away from him. Her work took over. It was more important to her than him. He saw less and less of her. And when she was with him she was always so detached. Not like she used to be. So passionate, so full of life, so open. Now she was cold.  
  
So cold she broke her promise.  
  
So cold she forgot to talk to him. He'd had to do something. Anything. To make her remember he was still there.  
  
So they ended up fighting. And she said something he'd never forget.  
  
"I don't love you anymore!"  
  
It hurt so much. But he couldn't let her see it. He didn't want her to see that she'd hurt him. So he covered it up. If she could be cold so could he. If she could act like she didn't care, so could he.  
  
So he lied.  
  
"News flash, Instructor, I was never in love with you, anyway. I was just bored." He practically spat the words out, sneering over the word "Instructor". It was the first time he had used that word. It was the reason she'd left him.  
  
She started, as if she'd been hit, when he said those words.  
  
"Don't say that, don't say things you don't mean." She whispered. She'd gone very white. Her eyes seemed larger, and for a fraction of a second, they appeared vulnerable, innocent. But his next words put a stop to that.  
  
"But I do mean it. I even had a bet on with Rajin that I could make you fall in love with me and that I'd be your first. You know what I mean?" His voice, amazingly, came out sounding steely, as smooth and deadly as the blade of Hyperion.  
  
Her eyes flashed. "Well, you lost that, didn't you? Because you weren't my first. Someone else beat you to it!" Her voice was challenging.  
  
There was a throbbing in his chest. He hadn't meant it! He was only trying to hide his pain. Somehow, he managed to challenge her back. "Who?" His voice coming out low, and dangerous.  
  
There was a moments hesitation, and then, in a voice softer than a summer breeze, came her answer. "Squall."  
  
She looked up at him, seeming torn. Then, without another word, she turned and fled.  
  
All Seifer could do was call after her, "Quistis!"  
  
She never even turned round.  
  
*Gasps dramatically. Does that mean Quistis did the dirty with Squall, and Seifer! Read on to find out! And don't forget to review!* 


	2. Confusion

Disclaimer: I own nout, nuffin, natta, none. *looks sad*  
  
*6 Months Later.*  
  
" I've marked your essays on Guardian Forces and I'm very pleased with most of them. You've all worked very hard. I'll let you have them back next lesson. Don't forget to study for your test. And I'll see you all tomorrow. Class dismissed."  
  
There was the normal hustle and bustle as paper was shuffled, pencil case jangled, chairs scraped back, and people chatted excitedly.  
  
Apart from Seifer. Seifer got up slowly, lazily. It was his way of annoying Quistis. He tried to be as slow as possible, to make her wait.  
  
However, as her reached the door, he found Quistis blocking his way. "This is different." He thought to himself.  
  
"We need to talk, Seifer. I'm worried about you." Her voice, as usual, was quiet and cool, professional.  
  
"Worried about me? I'm touched, really." Seifer's reply was mocking.  
  
"Cut the crap, Seifer. I'm serious. You didn't do that essay, or the last one. In fact, you haven't done anything since you came into this class! Your previous instructor said you were hard working and eager to do well. What's happened?"  
  
Seifer snorted in disgust. She was acting like his tutor. Like he was only her student, and she'd never met him before hand. It was disgusting the way she treated him.  
  
"Well, Instructor, I have an emotional problem which prevents me from concentrating on work." He hoped his comment would end the conversation, but he didn't really expect her to leave it at that.  
  
"Yeah, well so have I but I still try. Do you think it's easy teaching you?" Quistis' voice had lost the cool quality it had had previously.  
  
"I thought it would be harder trying to keep your hands off Squall." Seifer replied sarcastically, surprised that his voice sounded so even and hard, when he was seething underneath. Hyne, he wanted to hurt her so much! As much as she'd hurt him..  
  
Quistis flushed a deep red at his cutting words. "Get out, Seifer." She ordered, her voice low and menacing, yet not hiding a small tremor.  
  
"I'm only telling the truth." Seifer replied smoothly. "It's no secret that Squall gets you..hot."  
  
Almost before he realised what it was, her hand shot out and slapped him. The fact that what he'd said was true hurt him more than his face.  
  
Quistis looked more shocked than him. She was trembling and there were tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I didn't mean to hit you." She whispered, her face full of anguish. "You always make me so confused. Everything's so out of control."  
  
His heart tore. He still loved her of course. He couldn't help it. She looked so innocent there, so confused. Seifer did the first thing that came into his head. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.  
  
She froze at first, and then clung to him desperately, like a lost child. For one moment, everything was forgotten, it was just him and her, and nothing else mattered. He kissed her softly on the forehead, then eased her away from him.  
  
"Forget it, Instructor." He murmured, referring to the slap, as he walked out of the classroom.  
  
  
  
*Hmm, so what do you think. Do I write strangely? Everything I write seems to be very dramatic! So, what did you think? Please review!! Pleeeeeeaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeeeee!!*  
  
BikoNeko: Thank you VERY much for reviewing. I loved your review. It made me laugh. You have everything so worked out! But I'm glad u understand what I'm going on about. Thanks again! 


	3. Turmoil

**Nothing really happens in this chapter. Basically, it's just a frightening look into the complicated mine of the sexiest computer simulated man ever, Seifer!! Please read, enjoy, and then let me know what you think!  
  
**Disclaimer: If I owned Seifer would I really be sat writing about him???? There would be much more interesting things to do! Ahem!**  
  
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Seifer was confused. And worried. Now confused and worried didn't often come into Seifer's life. Annoyed, angry, sarcastic, snide, egotistical, over-confident perhaps. But never confused. Or worried.  
  
And it was all Quistis' fault.  
  
He didn't know where he stood with her anymore. He spent most of the time blowing hot and cold. One minute he'd absolutely detest her. He wouldn't be able to stay in the same room without starting an argument. He just wouldn't be able to stand the sight of him.  
  
And the next...  
  
The next he'd feel all fuzzy inside, all warm and safe. And he hated that feeling at the same time as he loved it. Because he loved her. Loved her. Adored her. Just wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her till she loved him back.  
  
No.  
  
He wasn't going to think about that at the moment. He had his Field Exam to think about. Not that he needed to think about it. He was going to pass easily. And even if he didn't at least he'd show her that he didn't care. Prove to her that her opinion of him didn't bother him at all. Even if he couldn't prove it to himself.  
  
He'd almost blown it yesterday. Almost told her what he had sworn to himself he wouldn't. But she'd stopped him, without knowing it, but she still stopped him. He may love her, but it was a passing thing. It would go, just like a cold or chicken-pox. Annoying, always at the edge of your mind, but gone soon enough.  
  
But he was torn in two.  
  
He wanted to tell her.yet he didn't. He wanted to be her best student, to impress her...yet he refused to live up to her expectations, only his own. He was happy disappointing her because it meant he could be just how he wanted. He was happy.  
  
What were these thoughts going round in his head??  
  
He didn't want them.  
  
It was her fault.  
  
It wasn't like him to be so...thoughtful.  
  
Not caring that he was in the canteen, surrounded by people., Seifer stood up and kicked a couple of chairs over violently. He hoped that by being angry and violent the uncharacteristic pensiveness would evaporate. And it worked, of course. He would cover up all the surging emotions below his skin with his usual self. That difficult, aloof, sneering guy in the grey trench coat and glittering Gunblade who stared defiantly at the people in the canteen, daring them to say anything.  
  
They didn't and he was happy.  
  
Happy.  
  
"Maybe repeating it over and over would make me believe it." He thought to himself as he departed from the canteen.  
  
**Hi! It's me again! Um, I'm sorry if this doesn't seem very in character. I haven't really got that sorted out yet. Hope your enjoying it.  
  
Thanks to Jen and Aznchika for being so LOVELY!! Thank you for reviewing!! 


	4. Pain

** Hi! It's me! Here's another chapter. When I originally started this fic, this was the first chapter. I hope it sounds better as Chapter 4 though. The first bit, in case you didn't realise, is the fight between Seifer and Squall at the very beginning of the game in the cut scene. God! I love that cut scene!!  
  
Disclaimer: I think you've got the idea that I don't own any of the characters by now! **  
  
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Cold, hard steel collided with soft flesh for the second time in only a couple of minutes. Strong, red blood flowed to the ground for a second time. Everything went black.  
  
*  
  
"Bang! Bang!"  
  
Seifer groaned. "Can't I be in pain in peace?" he mumbled to the shut door.  
  
"Seifer! Open up!"  
  
"Instructor, go find some papers to mark or something. Ever heard of beauty sleep?"  
  
"Not at one in the afternoon I haven't. Anyway, I know what happened, I don't think you're sleeping, somehow, Seifer. Now let me in or.."  
  
"Or what? You'll knock the door down with your whip?" Somehow, the snide comment ended up coming out sounding, well to tell the truth, weak. The cut on his forehead was making him feel slightly dizzy.  
  
"No, I'll pick the lock." Came the simple reply to his question. Seifer looked up quickly to see Quistis standing in the open doorway and groaned. "I heard what happened. Let me have a look at your head." It was more of a demand than a request.  
  
"What?" Seifer asked, pulling backwards as she came forward to inspect the deep gash, "Not sitting by Puberty Boy's bedside, holding his hand and stroking his fevered brow?"  
  
"Just shut up and let me have a look! Please, for once in your life, admit you need help from someone!" The voice that had started of gently was rapidly becoming impatient. Once again she reached out to him, but Seifer stood up abruptly.  
  
"I don't need help from anyone, let alone you, Miss Perfect."  
  
Quistis stood up too, slowly, raising her eyes to stare straight into his. "You never change, do you? I thought.." She trailed off, eyes narrowing slightly in confusion.  
  
"What? You thought last week changed everything? Little piece of advice Quist', don't think too much!" He watched as her eyes hardened.  
  
"You know, I don't know why I try so hard." She murmured softly, before walking out, slamming the door behind her.  
  
Seifer sighed and sat down on the bed, his aching head in his hands, willing the room to stop moving. "I don't need anyone." He whispered quietly, but with force, before passing out.  
  
** Tada!! I know it's short but..it served it's purpose, me thinks! Seifer seems a bit wussy here, passing out after a cut, but remember Squall passed out too. At least Seifer didn't show people he was weak. I'm sure that made him happy!**  
  
Vanessa : Thanks for the review. I'm glad you sympathise with poor Seifer even if it is a bit OOC!! And thanks for the good luck!!  
  
Luna Kishibara : Hehe! Look, I hurried! It's nice too know you think they're in character, I wasn't really sure if they were! Thank you.  
  
Fallen : I really hope this chapter makes your day!! Ah, it's so easy to fall head over heels for Seifer! He's just so damn sexy!! 


	5. Arguments

**Look! Aren't you lucky. Another chapter so soon. The reason being is that I'm going on holiday for 2 weeks (such a long time!) and thought I better give you something to last you!! Please read and REVIEW so I have lots of things to read when I get back. I don't mind if they're bad reviews, just please review!! (Okay, so I'm babbling now!)**  
  
Disclaimer : * Sigh * I STILL don't own anything! This is becoming upsetting.  
  
"Well! If it isn't one of our wounded soldiers? Feeling better?" Quistis couldn't help the bitter tone that slipped into her question. She'd meant to be reasonable, she could see already that it wasn't going to work. She'd known as soon as she'd seen him. He'd hurt her earlier today. He should have let her help him!  
  
"Get a life, Quistis." Seifer didn't even bother to hide the contempt in his voice. His head throbbed and he was in no mood to be nice to Quistis. He knew it had been over six months since it had happened but that wasn't the point. She'd still hurt him.  
  
"It's you that doesn't have a life, Seifer." That's it, she couldn't try anymore. She couldn't try to be reasonable anymore. She hadn't done anything wrong. He was the one who'd hurt her. All she'd done was tell the truth. Why was he still being so horrible? Except..her consciousness nagged her.she hadn't told the whole truth.  
  
"Why? Because I don't have yours? I'm fed up of trying to live up to your supernaturally high expectations of me." Maybe now was the time to tell Quistis the truth? Maybe, she'd stop being such a bitch if she knew.  
  
"Why shouldn't I expect you to do well?"  
  
"Because I can't that's why." He answered after a pause. Why did she treat him like he was supposed to be brilliant, then was disappointed when he didn't live up to her expectations? She never cut him a break.  
  
"Why not! You could be my best student, Seifer! You have so much talent!" He was so stubborn! He didn't even look as if he was listening now!  
  
"I can never be your best student! Not while I have this hanging over my head. I need.I need.." Ergh! He couldn't get it out. He needed to tell her he'd lied to her. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything until he did. He couldn't stand to have this hanging over him but if he told her she would hate him even more.  
  
"What? You want what?" Her tone became gentler. Something was bothering him.  
  
There was a long pause, was he going to tell her or not!?  
  
"I need to.." Then noticing the impatient look on Quistis' face he changed what he was going to say. "Oh, forget it! You don't want to hear what I have to say. You just want to save your teacher's licence. I don't feel like being used at the moment!"  
  
"How do you know about my teacher's license?" She asked quickly, how could he, of all people, know that!  
  
It was too late though. Seifer had left and so was all chance of persuading him not to blow his field exam. See, she wasn't that bad of an instructor. She knew Seifer inside and out. Well, maybe not that well. Maybe not as well as she thought.  
  
** Hmmmm. I'm not very happy with this chapter. It feels all wrong. All they seem to be doing is arguing with each other. But it is going somewhere, really!** 


	6. Regret

** *Dramatic Music* Wow! I'm on a roll! 3 Chapters out so quickly! Oh well, there won't be any for a while, so make the most of it. Please R&R all the same. **  
  
Disclaimer : Yep! You've got it! Me thinks I own nothing of Seifer, Squall or Quistis, I only own my imagination and my fingers!  
  
Quistis tapped her foot impatiently against the path. What was taking so long? She told Squall to meet her at the front gates at midday, now it was going on half past. What was he doing?  
  
Hearing footsteps she turned around. There was nobody there.  
  
"Behind you, Instructor." Turning back round to face the direction of Balamb, she found herself facing Seifer. She just couldn't avoid him, could she?  
  
"And what are you doing, Seifer? Shouldn't you be preparing for the field exam?" She kept her tone business like, trying to ignore that, from where she was standing, a delicious wave of pure Seifer smell was drifting towards her. Hmmm. She just wanted to lean closer to smell it better. Hyne! He smelt good! She's almost forgotten how he smelled. Just the smell brought back memories.  
  
She shook herself violently to rid herself of her bad thoughts. No student/teacher relationships, no student/teacher relationships, no student/teacher relationships. Perhaps if she kept repeating it, she'd believe herself. That was the reason she's broke up with him in the first place. Cid wouldn't have liked it.  
  
She'd had to say she didn't love him. Otherwise, if he had known the real reason, he wouldn't have let her. He would have told her that they should stay together anyway.  
  
The thing is, she still loved him! Hyne, she loved him so much. So much she practically ached inside. But she had to be cold with him, she had to be distant, she had to argue with him because otherwise all she'd want to do was make love to him.  
  
Except he'd hurt her as well. How could he say it was just a bet? Ergh! She hated him!! "And now I'm really confused." She thought sadly.  
  
Seifer just watched her, a questioning look in his eyes. She was behaving very strangely. "I am prepared, Instructor." Seifer's voice jerked her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Over-confidence is a killer, Seifer." She silently praised her quick thinking. Her cool remarks had saved her so many times.  
  
"Yeah well, keeps life exciting." Seifer shrugged. He wasn't going down that road again. He'd had enough of arguing. Which reminded him...  
  
"So, while I was down in Balamb, prepared, I saw this. Thought you might like it." Holding out his hand, she saw in the centre of his palm, a silver chain with a small, diamond shaped pendant on the end.  
  
Reaching out, she picked it up, trying desperately to ignore the tingle that hand to hand contact sent around her body.  
  
"It's lovely. But you shouldn't have." Quistis meant it as well. She wasn't just being polite. He really shouldn't have. Not after what she'd done to him. But he didn't seem to know what she'd said, how much she'd lied to him. Anyway, why was he being so nice to her? Normally all he did was point out all her faults.  
  
"I just wanted to say sorry, you know, for keep fighting with you. It's becoming a habit, a bad one." All the time he was watching her face to see what she thought. So far he couldn't work out what she was thinking at all.  
  
And he probably didn't want to know. Because all of a sudden, Quistis had the urge to talk about...the unmentionable. That thing that happened ages ago, before she became an instructor. Before she became Seifer's teacher. Before she grew so old, and cold, and distant. She wanted to tell him why she'd broken up with him. Why she'd lied to him. And how she still loved him.  
  
Opening her mouth she managed to utter one word, "Seifer." Before she was cut short by more footsteps. This time coming from Balamb Garden. Squall had finally arrived. She felt a wave of relief, mixed with regret, wash over her.  
  
"Another time, Seifer, I promise." She told him, quietly.  
  
"Hey, Instructor, don't make more promises you can't keep." And he was gone.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat, coming out as a ragged gasp. He remembered. And he still thought about it. Struggling to calm herself, she let her instructor mask slip into place once more.  
  
"What time do you call this?" She asked Squall coolly, all the time clutching Seifer's gift so hard, that the pendant cut into her hand.  
  
** I'm still not sure about how I feel about this chapter. At least there wasn't much arguing! Quistis seems very confused though, sorry if it confused you! ** 


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